France 1579-H ecu d'or

from the Stack's Bowers 2020 Collector's Choice sale, lot 70441

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This specimen was lot 70441 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, February 2020), where it sold for $1,440. The catalog description^[1] noted, "FRANCE. Ecu d'Or, 1579-H. La Rochelle Mint. Henry III. NGC MS-61. Henri was originally king of Poland, but he left Poland in 1574 to succeed his brother Charles IX as king of France. Thus Henri's coins are collected in both countries extensively. Struck at the La Rochelle mint, (H), and a true mint state example. A sterling example of the type, and worthy of a premium bid." This coin is called the écu d'or au soleil in Duplessy^[2] with a face value of sixty sols tournois and is noted with many variations in obverse and reverse legends.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 3.37 g, .958 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Fr-386; Dupl. 1121; Ci. 1410; Laf. 960.

Source:

• ^[2]Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
• Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The February 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.

Link to:

• 1575-H écu d'or au soleil, La Rochelle mint
• 1578-E écu d'or au soleil, Tours mint
• 1578-F écu d'or au soleil, Angers mint
• 1578-K écu d'or au soleil, Bordeaux mint
• 1578-P écu d'or au soleil, Dijon mint
• 1579-H quart d'écu
• France 1579-T franc au col plat
• France 1579-L franc au col plat
• 1579-M écu d'or au soleil, Toulouse mint
• 1583-B écu d'or au soleil, Rouen mint
• Coins and currency dated 1579
• return to French royal coinage (to 1793)